


Flowers and Weeds

by roxyryoko



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Any Route, Gen, Post B Support, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), friendship!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:28:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29381373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roxyryoko/pseuds/roxyryoko
Summary: "Sure! I can't just accept a gift for nothing though. I'll make one for you, too, if you'll teach me how! And I'll put plenty of feeling into it, so when we exchange them, it will really mean something."Hilda and Leonie make necklaces to exchange, and learn something about each other and theirselves.Written for Blossom: A Hilda Fashion Zine
Relationships: Hilda Valentine Goneril & Leonie Pinelli
Comments: 8
Kudos: 22





	Flowers and Weeds

**Author's Note:**

> It was so wonderful to be part of the Hilda Fashion Zine! I'm really happy I got to write a friendship piece about Hilda and Leonie. I really love their supports! 
> 
> Clip art at the end is illustrated by the wonderful [Blossompuppy](https://twitter.com/NGEruinedmylife). Check out her art on twitter! :D

“Um, this isn’t a flower, Leonie.” Hilda chided.

She removed a handful of wild violets from the pile of blossoms atop her desk, and presented them to her perplexed companion. “In case you didn’t know, this is a weed.”

Leonie shrugged, asking, “Does it matter? I like them.”

Hilda bit back her grievances as she looked at the peculiar items scattered across her desk: a grimy, linen bowstring that frayed at its snapped ends, an apothecary vial still reeking of whatever foul tasting potion once resided in it, an array of wildflowers where primroses and red campions stood out as the superior options, and a pile of speckled blue pebbles.

“I suppose they have a _certain_ charm that might appeal to some people,” Hilda relented, placing the weeds back down.

Leonie crossed her arms and frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean? Not everyone needs or wants overly fancy things.”

Instantly, Hilda regretted her words. “You’re right, Leonie. If this is what you like, then feel free to like away.” She smiled. “Actually, they kind of suit you. You’re pretty resilient and find a way to thrive no matter what’s available.”

Leonie’s eyes widened. “Wow,” she said after a pause, a laugh in her voice. “I never thought about it like that, but I kind of like it.”

Hilda gathered a few pink anemones from a vase on her windowsill. “I say we mix our flowers together. That way the necklaces are a little of me and a little of you. What do you say?”

A broad grin bloomed across Leonie’s face. “I’ve got no objections to that.”

“Great! We can get started then. I think I have most everything ready.” Hilda gestured to the other items on the windowsill. “I already braided this leather together, and I cleaned and polished these gemstones and vials. All that’s left is to mix the resin once we’re ready to use it.”

“Huh,” Leonie drawled, eyes fixated on the crafting supplies. “I figured you’d wait around and ask me to do everything.”

The thought had certainly crossed Hilda’s mind.

Hilda shrugged. “Well, I wanted to make sure everything came out perfectly. Measuring resin is a delicate procedure.” She pointed at her desk. “But if you want to roll up your sleeves and get to work, you can clean the things you brought.”

Leonie picked up one of Hilda’s bottles. “Tell you what. Let’s use the vials and cord you already prepped. I can find another use for my stuff.”

“Sounds good to me!” Hilda fetched two small pairs of scissors. “First, we’ll cut the flowers. The smaller blossoms will work best, but make sure the ones you pick aren’t all wilty.”

Following Hilda’s lead, the two carefully trimmed off small buds, blossoms, and leaves with a variety of stem lengths. Next, they placed crystals and pebbles on the bottom of the bottles. Using an adhesive and a pair of tweezers, they embedded the flora among the stones, spreading them out in appealing patterns.

“Pretty cute, right?” Hilda beamed as they admired their handiwork. “I’m already thinking about what outfit I’ll wear with it.” She proceeded to combine the resin and catalyst, pouring one into the other and mixing.

As Hilda stirred, Leonie glanced around the cluttered, messy room and commented, “You got to have something in all this stuff that really means a lot to you.”

Hilda contemplated for a moment. Sure, she had a lot of clothes and accessories she adored, but they didn’t hold the kind of sentimental value she knew Leonie meant. She was just about to deny any such items when a thought struck her.

“I guess there are some letters from my brother that would devastate me if I lost them. Like the one where Holst said he was proud of me.” Hilda smiled. “It makes me happy every time I read it.”

“Huh, it’s not so different from my lucky charm.” Leonie’s fingertips brushed over the wood pendant. “Jeralt made me feel seen and valued, and this necklace reminds me of that. The letter from your brother does the same thing for you.”

“I guess so,” Hilda mused as she finished stirring, tapping the stick on the edge of the glass. “Are you going to help me with this or make me do everything? It’s time to pour the resin into the bottles.”

“Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”

Hilda handed Leonie the concoction. “Pour it slowly into a corner. Just a trickle.”

“Sounds easy enough.”

Steadying the vial in one hand, Leonie gently tipped the container of resin at a slight angle. The clear liquid oozed out, small droplets cascading one after another until it grew into a slow stream. Soon the flowers were half-immersed. To keep a consistent flow, Leonie angled the bottle more, but the change proved to be too much as the resin poured out faster, causing bubbles to form.

The prospect of perfect necklaces dissipated in an instant.

“Oh, no,” Hilda lamented. “It’s going to be hard to get those bubbles out.”

Leonie stopped pouring when the liquid reached the top, and then squinted at the tiny, submerged bubbles.

“I don’t think it looks so bad,” she said. “Makes it more unique.”

She turned to a sulking Hilda. “Cheer up. It’s just for fun. I’m just happy we got to do this together.”

Hilda’s spirits rose. Leonie was right: imbuing the necklaces with the bonds of their friendship was the whole point.

“You’re right, this was a lot of fun!” Hilda smiled and evaluated their progress. “And if I tried to change it, it wouldn’t have the same meaning. I’ll look back at those bubbles and always remember this time spent together.”

Leonie flashed a grin. “You know something, Hilda? You’re a bit like a weed yourself.”

Hilda blanched, horrified at the thought. “What? Gross! No, I’m not!”

“I think so. You’re pretty adaptive. You used to rely on others a lot, but your brother’s right. You’ve changed. I know I can rely on you to have my back in battle. You’re tough, too. You might feign being dainty and all that, but you’ve flowered under harsh conditions.”

The compliments took Hilda by surprise. It seemed so absurd to be compared to an irksome, unwanted plant and have it _not_ be a criticism. Yet, the more she thought about it, the more she found truth in Leonie’s words. It used to be so easy to hide behind her allies and let them pick off the enemies, but throwing herself completely into battle had become a necessity. Not just to keep her own head on her shoulders, but to protect her friends. Dripping with sweat and coated with blood, no matter how much her muscles screamed in protest, she’d keep swinging Freikugel and claim life after life so that the future they all believed in would arrive as promised.

Weird as the comparison might have been, Leonie was right.

“Well, when you put it like that...I guess it’s not so bad.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to follow me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/roxyryoko)~


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